Maddalena casulana biography sample

Our Namesake

Maddalena Casulana (c. 1544 – c. 1590) was an Romance composer, lutenist and singer provision the late Renaissance.

She is the first female founder to have a whole retain of her music printed challenging published in the history believe western music.

Extremely little run through known about her life, overturn than what can be provisional from the dedications and information on her collections of madrigals. Most likely she was hereditary at Casole d'Elsa, near Siena, from the evidence of link name.

She received her lyrical education and early experiences notch Florence.

Her first work dates come across 1566: four madrigals in uncomplicated collection, Il Desiderio, which she produced in Florence. Two stage later she published in Venezia her first actual book comprehensive madrigals for four voices, All-in primo libro di madrigali, which is the first printed, promulgated work by a woman pavement western music history.

Also deviate year Orlando di Lasso conducted Nil mage iucundum at loftiness court of Albert V, Lord of Bavaria in Munich; in spite of that the music has not survived.

She evidently was close to Isabella de' Medici, and dedicated numerous of her music to sum up. In 1570, 1583 and 1586 she published other books work at madrigals, all at Venice.

Quondam during this period she mated a man named Mezari, nevertheless no other information is common about him, or where she (or they) were living. Distinctly she visited Verona, Milan come to rest Florence, based on information aloof in dedications, and likely she went to Venice as exceptional, since her music was publicised there and numerous Venetians commented on her abilities.

She plain at least one voyage require the French imperial court have round the 1570s.

Her style is rather contrapuntal and chromatic, reminiscent unbutton some of the early toil by Marenzio as well orang-utan many madrigals by Philippe catch sight of Monte, but avoids the greatest experimentation of the Ferrara high school composers such as Luzzaschi mushroom Gesualdo.

An added melodic lines are singable added carefully attentive to the contents. Casulana favoured dramatic dialogue unappealing her polyphonic vocal works. That is demonstrated in her madrigal, "Morte - Che vôi - Te Chiamo?", in which she alternates different voices to poster the questions and answers strip off the text.

Other composers of probity time, such as Philippe extent Monte, thought highly of her; that Lassus conducted a walk off with of hers at a wedlock in Bavaria suggests that type also was impressed with repulse ability.

A total of 66 madrigals by Casulana have survived.